Monday, August 13, 2018

Many Shops 'Burnt To Ashes' As Fire Consumes Maiduguri Fish Market

“We locked our shops and went home. Later, we received the shocking news that the market was on fire. Most of the shops at the main fish market were burnt to ashes; we are still trying to put out the fire,” Labo, a trader, stated.

There was a fire outbreak on Sunday night at the popular Baga Fish Market in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Many shops in the market were caught in the inferno, as many of the traders had closed for the day when the incident occurred.

The fire destroyed many shops, fish stock and other property.

Malam Muhammad Labo, one of the traders in the market, told NAN that the fire, started at about 10.30 p.m.

“We locked our shops and went home. Later, we received the shocking news that the market was on fire. Most of the shops at the main fish market were burnt to ashes; we are still trying to put out the fire,” Labo stated.

However, the prompt response of the Borno State Fire Service helped to contain the situation.

Ambursa Pindar, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Borno State Fire Service, confirmed the incident, noting that four fire-fighting trucks were deployed to the market.

The fire incident is a major loss for traders in Baga Fish Market, as they have been experiencing challenges in their trade dur to the insurgency in the North-East.

It emerged days ago that renewed attacks and counter-attacks have also made fishing in Lake Chad a struggle, as fishermen pay as much as N10,000 to Boko Haram to get access to the lake.

In the bid to avoid road blocks by soldiers, traders have also resorted to “smuggling fish into Maiduguri by road in bundles of 10 or 30 kilograms stashed in cars and ‘under travellers' suitcases.'”